Life Will Go On
by viper209n
Summary: You never think it will happen to you. You never think someone will bring a gun to your school. SandyKirsten
1. Teaser

You never think it will happen to you.

You never think someone will bring a gun to your school.

You think you're invincible.

This doesn't happen to people like you.

Senior with a scholarship to Berkeley.

Starter for the basketball team.

Dating the best girl in school.

She's even going to Berkeley with you next year.

You've got it all planned.

This can't happen.

It certainly shouldn't.

But it does.

A teenage boy gets angry and brings a gun to school.

Shots are fired.

People could be dead.

Lives could be lost.

And it's all your fault.


	2. Who Will Survive

**A/N: **_This was _**inspired **_by the 'One Tree Hill' school shooting episode from Season Three. Notice that I've said "inspired." Not copied. I was watching said episode and couldn't help but put my favorite O.C. characters in a similar position. The story is different as you will find when you read it which I hope you will. I hope you enjoy this._

**Disclaimer: **_I own neither 'One Tree Hill' nor 'The O.C.'_

_  
I will never let you fall  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven_

--Guardian Angel

Although later he would discover that he was the reason this took place, Sandy Cohen couldn't believe this was happening.

Growing up in the Bronx had definitely introduced Sandy to what gunshots sounded like. In fact, it was one of the reasons his grandfather had persuaded Sophie to allow her son to move close to his aunt and uncle.

The last straw was when Sandy and his friend, Brad, were walking home from their first day in school as juniors. A car passed and the gang inside mistook Brad for one of their enemies. Sandy suddenly heard gunshots coming from behind him; he turned around just in time to see Brad fall onto the cement, blood quickly spilling from his body. Sandy kneeled beside him and turned him over, hoping there would be some chance of saving him. Upon seeing Brad face up, Sandy knew there was no hope.

The memory has continued to haunt Sandy even though he no longer lives remotely close to New York. Occasionally, he still wakes up feeling as if there is blood soaking his bed.

The sound of guns was so familiar to Sandy that there was no question that it's what he heard go off inside of the school. He didn't realize it but his hands were shaking like he was about to take the AP Calculus exam after only one day of algebra.

He thought he had escaped this. School shootings weren't supposed to happen in Newport Beach, California. At least not at The Harbor School.

The gun went off and screaming could be heard. Although in Sandy's heart he knew that it was a gun, his mind tried to convince him that it was something else. "_Denial is a very effective coping mechanism," _he could faintly hear his girlfriend's voice from a few weeks ago when she said that phrase.

In a few seconds, the intercom blared with the principal's voice. "Code red! This is not a drill! Code red!"

Sandy and his girlfriend both had study hall first period. He slammed his textbook closed as his head shot up toward the door. His hand went toward his chest and he grabbed the necklace that he always wore underneath his shirt. A few people rushed inside the room and crowded by the wall. Sandy sat at a round table with his cousin, Chris.

Chris' girlfriend, Amy, shut the door behind the students that just came in. She twisted the lock and quickly flicked the lights off: standard lock-down procedure. Within a few seconds, only silence could be heard flowing through the door.

Sandy quickly scanned the room. There were a few blonde girls in the room but not the one he was looking for.

"Everyone must have already cleared out." Some girl sitting by the wall whispered. Sandy had seen her face but didn't know her name.

"Yeah and we're stuck in this room." Scott said. Sandy had never liked Scott. He was one of those guys that everyone knew in high school. Very full of himself, not very bright, always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Scott was on the basketball team with Sandy and Chris so Sandy knew that he definitely wouldn't have picked to be stuck in any room with Scott for any reason. However, Sandy's concentration was without doubt not on Scott.

"It's lock-down procedure." Amy informed him, sternly.

"Principal never said anything about lock-down. He just said 'code red.'" Scott reasoned.

"That's what code red means, idiot." Chris snapped.

Sandy got out of his chair and moved toward the door slowly. He pressed his ear to the door and listened.

"I don't hear anything." Sandy whispered, his eyes looking down at the floor as his brain worked to figure out a plan.

"That's what they want you to hear." Scott said, standing up. He put his hand up close to his face and wiggled his fingers. "That's how they get ya." He said hoarsely.

Sandy simply looked at Scott, telling him to shut up. "She said she had to talk to Dr. Kim." Sandy said, mainly to himself.

"Who?" Amy asked, standing up from her seat on the floor next to the door.

"She said that around 7:15. She said that she would be here for first period, that she wouldn't be late."

"Kirsten?" She asked again.

Sandy nodded his head although he didn't look away from the spot on the wall. "She must have been in the hallway when it started. When she heard 'code red', she would have hidden."

Finally, Sandy looked up from the wall. In the time it had taken him to talk to himself, Chris was now standing beside Amy. Sandy looked from one person to the other. Scott was still standing. He and the rest of the people next to the wall were looking at Sandy as if he were insane.

"She's still out there." Sandy's hand grabbed the doorknob.

Amy's eyes widened and she grabbed Sandy's arm, stopping him from twisting the knob. "You can't go out there, Sandy. No matter what."

Sandy could believe he was hearing this from her. "Amy, she's your best friend and you just want me to ignore the fact that she could be hurt?"

"I'm sure she's fine. Kirsten's a big girl. She's smart. You're right; she's probably safe hiding and if you go out there like a bat out of hell, you might blow her cover." Chris said, placing a hand on Sandy's shoulder.

"Just _hope_ she's okay. That's what you want me to do?" Sandy said, incredulous. "Is that what you would do if it was Amy out there?"

Neither Chris nor Amy had anything to say about that.

"That's what I thought." He turned back toward the door.

Suddenly, Scott rushed him. He grabbed Sandy and turned him around before shoving his back into the wall. "You heard Lock-Down Girl." Scott said, nodding toward Amy. "You'll let 'em know where we are."

Sandy grabbed the collar on Scott's shirt. "Let go of me." He growled.

"Not if you're going to open that door."

"Fine." Sandy mumbled. His grip tightened on the fabric. Sandy knew that he was a lot stronger than Scott when he wanted to be. He pushed Scott back until he could fully pull his arm back. Sandy pulled back and swung through, clocking Scott hard in the face. The punch caused Scott to run into the teacher's rolling chair and loose his balance even further, landing on the floor.

Sandy began to move toward the door again. This time Chris got in the way. Sandy glared at his cousin. _Move_, it said.

"You can't, Sandy."

Sandy just looked at him. _Move now_, this one said. Chris gave Sandy the impression that he wasn't going to obey. Family or not, Sandy's arm swung back once again. Sandy's fist landed perfectly on Chris' face and his head swung to the side. Chris was a lot more resilient that Scott so Sandy pulled Chris out of the way of the door by his shirt. He then shoved him back into the table that they were previously sitting at.

Sandy then rushed toward the door. Amy still stood in his way, right in front of the doorknob. She didn't move as Sandy advanced. He stood still and cocked an eyebrow at her.

_Are you serious?_ She just stared right back. Apparently she was. He got closer to her and picked her up by the waist and set her out of his way.

Sandy's left hand untwisted the lock and his right hand turned the doorknob. Everyone was completely still as he opened the door.Silently, he stepped into the deserted highway, looking back and forth to check that it was clear.

"Lock it behind me." He instructed quietly. With that, he slowly closed the door, being sure not to make a sound. He checked to make sure he was alone. Once satisfied, he walked toward the coach's office which was about two doors down.

Sandy entered slowly, checking for occupancy. Empty again. He hurried toward the bin of baseball bats. He grabbed the best choice and cautiously exited the room.

He headed toward the direction of Dr. Kim's office. He passed the study hall room and was satisfied that he couldn't hear any commotion from inside. He walked a few more feet before stopping and putting his back to the wall. He gradually peeked down the hallway. It seemed to be clear. He entered the hallway cautiously with the baseball bat raised.

He racked his mind as to where she could be. He was going to pass the library first. He managed to quietly open the large doors. With the baseball bat in the air, Sandy made his way down the wide aisles of books. He resisted the urge to whisper Kirsten's name, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

Suddenly, he stopped short, having heard a shuffling noise. His breathing picked up as his hands gripped the bat tightly. He inhaled quickly before dashing toward the noise, ready to strike it with full force.

When he saw what the cause of the sound was, his arms didn't swing. It was Jimmy Cooper and his girlfriend, Julie. As Sandy had lurched toward them, Julie had squealed and Jimmy put up his arm to catch the blow. Sandy brought back the bat down once he saw that they weren't a threat.

"Have you seen Kirsten?" It was his first and only question.

"No! All we know is someone just suddenly started shooting!" Tears continued to stream down Julie's face as she explained.

"Shh!" Sandy hissed, looking at Julie as if she had lost her mind, which as far as Sandy was concerned she already had. "Do you want them to hear us?!" He whispered urgently. "What are you doing here anyway?" Julie was from Riverside and had absolutely no funds to go to Harbor.

"She came to visit today." Jimmy explained quietly.

Sandy looked toward the ceiling. "Hell of a day for a visitation." He said sarcastically. "So you have no idea where Kirsten is?"

"No. You don't?" Jimmy asked, standing up.

"Oh yeah. I know where she is. I just thought I'd search for her and threaten even more lives by making noise for the hell of it." Sandy snapped at Jimmy. "Of course I don't know where she is! That's why I'm asking you!" He hissed.

"Now is really not the time for sarcasm, Sandy." Jimmy mentioned.

"No. Now is really not the time for stupid questions, _Jimmy_." Sandy countered back before shaking his head. "I don't have time for this." He concluded beginning to walk away.

"Let us help you look." Jimmy offered.

"Are you insane? I'm not taking Sergeant Stutter and Melodramatic Marry Me on a search where the main goal is to shut up." Sandy growled out his words through his teeth.

"Isn't there power in numbers, though?" Jimmy persisted.

"Jimmy," Sandy sighed. "I've got to go alone. This situation needs silence. It's a one person deal."

Jimmy relented as Julie pulled on his hand, trying to get him to sit down. Sandy propped the baseball bat up again to be ready to swing at any time.

"Sandy," Jimmy called out once more.

"What?"

"Protect her?" Kirsten.

Sandy answered him with a look. _Of course_. He walked the rest of the aisles in the relatively large library. Once he made his way back toward the front doors, close to where Jimmy and Julie were, he was empty handed.

"I didn't find anything." He told them before leaving the library. He was once again careful with the doors again. Where could she be? Sandy looked from his left to his right. Nothing.

He took a right so he could continue on the path he had strayed from earlier. He passed a few doors before he came into view of the girls' bathroom. He crossed the hallway and slowly opened the door. He peered through the stalls only to see the toilets.

His hand grasped at his chest again. His fingers gently fumbled with the chain around his neck. He took a few breaths and gathered strength from the charm, hoping to find his sweetheart.

"Kirsten?" He whispered, just in case. "Kirsten." He was a little bit louder this time. No response.

He was alert as he peered back out through the girls' bathroom door. He scanned the hallway. All he could see was what he had seen the entire day. Stray backpacks, random pencils, scattered papers, open lockers. The door across from this one was the boys' bathroom. Sandy thought for a moment and knew he had to check.

Quietly, he crossed the hallway, bat in hand. Gently, he pushed the door open, wincing as it slightly squeaked. He swiftly shut it back, keeping it quiet. No one at the urinals. _Duh_. He moved toward the three stalls. In the first two, he saw nothing but white porcelain. But, in the third, there was a huddled figure. Sandy peered in. At first it didn't even look like a person. But, if he focused, he could see a smudge of blonde hair. His right hand still held the bat but his left hand slowly pushed the stall door open.

As the door opened, he could see the figure shiver. A small whimper could also be heard. It was her. His Kirsten Nichol.

"Kirsten." He said, quietly.

Immediately upon hearing the voice she knew so well, Kirsten's head jerked up and she searched out her boyfriend.

"Sandy!" She cried out quietly. She jumped from her seat and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly to her. He accepted her embrace, closing his eyes as he felt her in his arms. He breathed her in, allowing her presence to calm him even if for only a moment. Neither could breathe but they didn't care. It wasn't important.

"I found you." He whispered into her skin. Suddenly, his mind came back to like. "Are you okay?" He asked urgently. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine." Kirsten answered, pulling back to look into his frightened face. "I was on my way to first period when I heard the guns and everyone started screaming and running. Then they came on the intercom and said 'code red.' This was the closest room to me and I came in without thinking about the fact that it's the boys' restroom or that it doesn't even lock." Being around Sandy so much had rubbed off the rambling tendency on her. Tears began to fall down her face and her voice began to squeak. "I didn't know if you were okay." She began to sob.

Sandy was quick to pull her back to his body. He pressed her head to his chest. "I'm okay." He assured her. "You are okay." He whispered into her ear. "It's going to be okay." He cupped her face and turned her head so she had to look into his eyes. "I am not going to let anything, _anything_, happen to you. Okay?"

Kirsten shook her head causing a few tears to race down her cheeks. "But who's going to make sure nothing happens to you?" She squeaked. Kirsten was fully aware of Sandy's savior complex and she didn't want to be the reason he got hurt.

For the first time in his life, Sandy couldn't think of anything to say. He turned his head toward the door. "I need to get you somewhere safe."

"Sandy, the school is on lock-down! We're not supposed to move."

"Kirsten, we are in a room that doesn't lock." He stated urgently. "We should get to the study hall room. Chris and Amy will let us back in."

"Sandy…"

"Kirsten, if we can just get a few feet down the hall and into that room, we'll both be safe." He was right. The room wasn't that far away.

"At least, send them a text message so they know we are coming."

Sandy smiled at that idea. "Now that's thinking. Good job, baby." He said, kissing her nose. A few seconds later, Sandy's phone received a text message. "They got it. They'll be waiting." He reported to Kirsten.

"Okay." The couple made their way toward the door. "Sandy, wait!" She spoke urgently.

"What is it?" He asked, concerned.

She advanced toward him and kissed him. He was surprised at first but soon returned her kiss. Briefly their tongues collided before they pulled away.

"I love you," she whispered, gazing deeply into his deep blue eyes.

He smiled at her. "I love you, too." He could still see some fear in her eyes. "Nothing will happen to you. I promise." He whispered sincerely, probing her eyes with his own. He kissed her lips one more time before turning toward the door.

He slowly opened it and cautiously looked around. When he saw that no one was out in the hallway, he grabbed Kirsten's hand with his left and they slowly walked into the open. She quietly closed the door behind them and walked beside her best friend toward safety. He kept her next to him, not wanting her to be the first thing anyone saw whether coming head on or sneaking up from behind them.

They passed the library and got closer and closer to their destination. In reality, the bathroom might not have been that far away from the bathroom but in this moment, it felt like 100 miles.

As they got closer to the intersection of hallways, Sandy dropped the delicate hand from his and gripped the baseball bat tightly. All they had to have was one more stroke of luck and they would be in the study hall room. Cross this hallway and they were done. Fate apparently had another plan for them.

With bat in hand, Sandy peered out into the hallway, right then left. His eyes widened as he turned to the left. He was met with a gun being pointed into his face.

Kirsten couldn't breathe.

Without realizing it, Sandy's mind went through a quick reasoning process. Starting with the most important thing in his life.

_Where is she?_ He asked himself.

_Behind me. _He quickly answered.

His mind quickly assessed that Sandy needed to get the gun pointed far away from her. Sandy could already hear the clicking inside the mini machine. Making the quick decision, Sandy swung the bat into the arm of the shooter and moved his aim away from his face and toward the hallway they had just left. The force of the bat caused the arm to descend as well as move to the right.

As the bat hit the arm, the trigger was pulled and Sandy quickly found out that Kirsten was not behind him. A pained yelp mixed with the gunshot to reverberate off the walls of the seemingly empty school. Sandy looked to his love and saw that she had been to the left of him and the bullet had hit what looked like her calf.

"Kirsten." He breathed. Tears burned his eyes. He had promised.

OoOoO

The kids in the study hall room were still sitting by the wall, trying to keep each other calm. Chris and Amy were sitting at a round table so they could be quick in letting the other couple in. Just a few moments ago, they had received a text message.

FOUND KIRSTEN IN BATHROOM. COMING BACK. WILL SLIDE LISCENSE UNDER DOOR TO GET IN.

After receiving it, most of them had agreed to let them in. All except for Scott.

"What if someone killed both of them and has stolen their phone and wallet to get entrance to do the same to us?" He had asked. "We should look out of this window."

There was a window covered by blinds and overlooking the hallway. From the angle of the window, they could see all the way down the hallway Sandy and Kirsten were supposed to be coming from.

"No!" Had been the hissed response.

"Well, why not?"

"Because. What if the shooter sees you peeping out of the window and then knows we are in here?" Chris asked.

"Good point." Scott relented. After a few moments passed, he continued. "They should be here by now." He moved to quickly for them to stop him. His finger quickly played with the blinds and they separated two of them so he could see. Upon looking out the window, he could see that he was right. They should be there by now. The thing that the others in the room didn't know was that Sandy was within the vicinity of the study hall room with a gun pointed in his face.

Scott only looked away once he saw a bullet get lodged into Kirsten's leg. The gunshot scared everyone causing them all to jump. Scott quickly let go of the blind and fell back down to the floor. He stared at the back of a chair. He just watched the prom queen get shot. Things like that weren't supposed to happen.

"Scott."

Chris broke him out of the trance. Scott saw Amy clinging to her boyfriend as she expected the worse.

"Scott. What happened?" Scott encouraged.

"He shot her. Kirsten."

Amy sobbed and rushed toward the door. Chris caught her right before she could touch the doorknob. He had a strong grip on her but she continued to fight him.

"I've got to help her, Chris. She's my best friend." Amy pleaded as she continued to reach for the door.

Chris turned her around to face him. He backed her up to the wall, not allowing her to move. "There's nothing you can do that would help her." Amy looked deep into his eyes as he spoke the truth to her. Her face crumbled and she fell into his chest.

"I know." She whimpered.

"You'll just let them know where we are and Kirsten would want you to be safe."

"I know." She repeated, sobbing openly into his shirt. She gripped the fabric, balling it up tightly. Her knuckled turned white.

"It's Eugene Evans." Scott practically whispered yet everyone managed to hear.

At first, everyone was speechless. They all knew the story of Eugene Evans.

Upon hearing the name, Chris closed his eyes in despair, accepting the tragic fate that would no doubt follow.

Within a moment, Amy cried out again. "No, Chris, no." She sobbed into his neck, asking him to fix this. She repeated her plea over and over again.

Slowly, the couple slid down to sit and Amy practically crawled into Chris' lap. He turned them around, his back against the wall. He rocked her slowly, trying to somehow comfort her.

No one said a word as they listened to the exchange in the hallway. They couldn't hear much since all the words were mumbled. It calmed the students that they could distinguish three separate voices. Even Scott remained silent.

Even though they couldn't hear Eugene explain, they all could pretty much put together a general idea why he had decided to do this.

Eugene Evans didn't have much going for him. He was a D average student, he wouldn't do homework so he stayed in detention. He was the guy that everyone picked on. The one thing he did have was basketball. He was pretty good.

However, basketball was not Harbor's sport. That would be water polo. Eugene had grown to love his spot on the team. Basketball was his way to finally have something for him.

All the guys on the team had their position on the team. It fit perfectly. There were just enough talented guys for them all to play. Of course, there were about two benchwarmers. They loved being a part of the basketball team even though they knew that they would never play.

When Sandy Cohen arrived in Newport junior year, he tried out for basketball. He made the team and was good enough to be made starter. Of course, that meant that someone else would have to start warming the bench. Unfortunately for Eugene, it was him. Sandy took his position and Eugene started sitting. Eugene couldn't handle watching the games and not being able to play. He couldn't watch Sandy show him up on the court. So Eugene quit the team.

Soon, Sandy gave Eugene another reason to hate him. Sandy began dating Kirsten Nichol. Eugene had been crushing on Kirsten since they were in the seventh grade. They had become friends. Not really close friends, but friends none-the-less. Everyone could tell that Eugene had a crush on Kirsten. However, Kirsten herself was a little oblivious.

As they got older, popularity and high school tore them apart. Jimmy Cooper came to town and Kirsten quickly swooned over the water polo player. Eugene immediately hated him. He knew that Kirsten was too good for that Cooper kid.

Classes also tore the two apart. Kirsten was a straight A student and as a result was in all of the advanced classes. Eugene was nowhere near smart enough to be in those classes with her. Soon, they didn't speak at all.

Eventually, Jimmy cheated on Kirsten and Sandy became her white knight. Eugene watched them together and hated that this New Yorker had everything Eugene had ever wanted. He stole his spot on the team and was being the perfect guy to Kirsten. The guy that Eugene wished he could be but knew he never would.

After coming to grips with the fact that Kirsten was never going to be with him, Eugene had become even more of a loner. He still wore the clothes that should make him fit in. He did his hair like everyone else. He attended sports events, showed school spirit, tried to talk to others. However, it seems all that people did was shut him out. They either refused to acknowledge him or they made fun of him.

Clearly, the constant loneliness had become too much for Eugene Evans.

Everyone in the study hall room knew how mad Eugene Evans could be. No one could see this ending well. They tried to keep their minds off of it somehow but it became increasingly harder.

They could hear everything even though it was muffled. However, no one dared to open the blinds and see exactly what was happening. Nobody wanted confirmation of the worst.

Of course, they heard the original gunshot. That sound was followed by the baseball bat falling to the ground.

About a minute later, they heard shouting although they couldn't distinguish the voices.

It was calm for a few more minutes and everybody was in suspense for something to happen. Finally it did come. The few minutes of silence inside the study hall room was followed by angry muffled shouts and a sudden gunshot.

Then, complete silence again. No one breathed inside the room. Amy was still being cradled by Chris, quiet tears sliding down her face. She hid her face in Chris' neck, sniffling occasionally.

Suddenly, there was a dull thumping sound coming from the outside and suddenly a loud crack. Inside the room, there was no way to tell what was going on in the hallway without looking through that window. And nobody was willing to do that.

The thumping stopped and voices could be heard once again. Within a second, another gunshot was fired and then silence, even more silent than before, if possible.

Everyone was shaking and most were crying. Chris rocked Amy, tears almost escaping his eyes. He refused to cry until he knew exactly what had happened.

About ten minutes later, Scott slowly pushed himself away from the wall and kneeled before the window. Everyone was too drained of energy to stop him. He peeked out the blinds and within five seconds had whipped himself back around to sit down.

He looked terrified. "Oh my gosh!" He breathed.

"What?" Chris asked. "What was it?" The tension in the room was thick. Was it Eugene? Had Scott seen who had been shot?

"It's a cop." Scott said, breathlessly, grabbing his chest.

Chris stood up, forcing Amy to stand as well. He cautiously peeked out of the window and saw the same police officer standing at the window, letting them know it was safe. Convinced, Chris quickly unlocked the door and pulled Amy close to him.

After being in an unlighted room, the lights in the hallway made the students squint furiously. As soon as their eyes adjusted to the light, they saw it. Blood, all over the place. Chris' hold on Amy tightened as he tried to hold her up. The students from study hall tried to ignore the deep crimson that seemed to cover the entire floor. However, it was a little impossible.

OoOoO

Sandy dropped the bat on the floor a few feet from him as he watched Kirsten slide down to the floor. She grabbed her injured leg. A pained expression played across Kirsten's features as her blood spilled to the floor. Sandy rushed toward her and pulled her jeans up so he could see.

"Sandy." She whimpered, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Sandy quickly pulled off his outer shirt and wrapped it tightly around her wound. She winced as the material squeezed her leg. Suddenly, Sandy pulled her close and left a tiny kiss on her cheek.

Eugene couldn't believe he had actually pulled the trigger again. He stared shocked as the scene unfolded. He didn't mean to shoot her.

"I-I didn't mean to." He stammered.

"Well, you did!" Sandy growled, standing up.

Eugene pointed the gun back at Sandy. "Don't you forget who has the power! This is my time!" He had already shot the gun. He could do it again. "Now, both of you, let's go!" When the couple remained still in a shocked silence, Eugene yelled. "Now!"

Kirsten flinched when she heard the gunman scream orders. Sandy turned back to her, helping her get on her feet. She was shaky and limping but she managed to gather all of her strength and keep walking.

Sandy's arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he guided her. Eugene kept his eyes and the gun pointed at the couple. Quickly, he became sick.

"Separate. I can't stand the two of you touching."

"But she can barely walk, thanks to you." Sandy said softly but with venom dripping from his tongue.

"I don't care. Don't touch her."

Sandy's jaw clenched. He really hated this guy.

"Sandy." Kirsten's soft, fragile voice broke the silence. He turned to her and looked into those blue eyes he loved so much. Shakily, she pulled his arms away from her. She then pushed him away to make sure Eugene could see that they weren't touching at all.

"Why are you doing this, Eugene?" Kirsten's shaky voice suddenly asked. She was choked with tears.

"Why? Why am I doing this? Jeez, Kirsten. You can't think of anything that would make me want to do this?" He was screaming and waving the gun in her direction.

"Evans, watch where you're pointing that thing!" Sandy yelled.

Eugene pointed the gun back at Sandy's chest. There was a dark look in his eyes. "Number one: Don't call me Evans like we're buddies or something, Cohen! Second: that thing? I figured you could tell me everything about this _thing, _Mr. Bronx. And third: I will point it where I like! You don't make the rules right now. I do!" Eugene shrieked as he thrusted the gun further toward Sandy's direction.

"This isn't yesterday, Sanford! I'm making the rules right now_. I'm_ picking on _you_! I'm the top dog right now! Not you." Then he redirected the gun toward Kirsten. "That is why I'm doing this. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being the loser. The one at the bottom. So I'm taking back my pride the only way I can."

Tears freely fell down Kirsten's face now. "But we used to be friends." She cried.

"Yeah, used to be. Then you got even more popular and it was bye-bye Eugene." Eugene said, sadly.

"I'm sorry." Even though she whispered, her words seemed to echo off the hallway walls.

"Yeah. You're sorry now. Now that you've got a gun pointed to your face. Anyone can be sorry at this moment, Kirsten." His tone was starting to become angry again.

"Why are you angry at her? I thought you liked her." Sandy had to get Eugene's mind off of being angry at Kirsten.

"I love her."

"Then why are you pointing the gun at her? You should point it at someone you hate. Me. You hate me, don't you?" Eugene looked at Sandy. "Yeah. You do. I stole your spot on the team and I stole your girl. If I were you, I would hate me."

Sandy's plan worked. Eugene pointed the gun back at him.

"I sure do hate you." Eugene growled.

"I know you do. So if you're going to shoot anyone, just let it be me. The one guy you truly hate."

Kirsten understood what Sandy was saying but she still didn't appreciate it. If anything happened to him, she would die anyway. Tears stung her eyes.

"Sandy, stop it."

"But you're not the only guy I truly hate. You're not the only person who's ever hurt me. They've all hurt me!"

"But does that justify this? Shooting people? Hurting others just because others hurt you?" Kirsten questioned. "Does that make any of this right?"

"An eye for an eye." Eugene muttered.

"Well, you're just as bad as they are."

Eugene's eyes snapped back and stared holes into Kirsten. "So you think I'm a monster?" The silence persisted. "How about I instill fear back into you?" He pointed the gun back at Kirsten. "I have to point it at you for you to realize that I mean business? Do you know how easy it is to pull a trigger_? Do you have any idea_?" He shoved the weapon in her direction.

Sandy's breathing was increasing rapidly. He had to think of something to get Eugene's mind off of Kirsten.

"You have no idea what it's like to be a loser! You don't know how it feels to be picked on by all the guys in school! Shoved into lockers! Beat up! Clothes soaked!" His voice was rising higher and higher.

"It was yesterday. When your dear boyfriend here decided that it would be cool to tell me exactly how you felt about me. That you knew I was a loser and you could never even think of having a relationship with me."

Sandy wasn't breathing anymore. "He told me to 'Get lost, loser.' So I did and I fished this gun out of a drawer in my room and I decided that the next day would be the day of my revenge and it is."

With the gun pointed at waist level, Eugene looked into Sandy's eyes with an indescribable malice.

"Hey, Sandy." 

"Eugene…" Sandy tried to calm him, not act hastily.

"Game over." He growled those last words and pulled the trigger.

Within nanoseconds, the bullet lodged itself into its closest target, Kirsten. She groaned painfully and grabbed her stomach in the spot it had penetrated her flesh. Quickly, she fell to the floor and was still.

Sandy still wasn't breathing. He stared in a trance at Kirsten on the floor.

Eugene couldn't believe he had actually done that. It wasn't at all like he had planned it.

Logic finally clicked in Sandy's mind. He remembered that Eugene still had the gun. Sandy quickly turned toward Eugene and saw that he wasn't moving. In the blink of an eye, Sandy bent down and grabbed the baseball bat. He slammed Eugene's hand with the bat and watched the gun skid across the floor. The sudden force brought Eugene's attention back to the earth. He didn't have time to react as Sandy swung back again and came around, hitting Eugene with full force in the ribs.

Eugene yelped loudly and Sandy abandoned the bat, throwing on the floor to resound through the hallway. He punched Eugene in the face and backed him up to the wall.

"You…" Sandy couldn't even finish the sentence; he was so overcome with emotion. He punched as hard as he could and felt very satisfied as Eugene's skull crashed against the wall. Eugene quickly slid down the wall and he slumped on the floor. Sandy didn't relent. His fists continued to fly, right and left.

Eugene's head was turned in such a way and he could see that the gun was beside him. He reached and felt the cold metal between his fingers. He gripped it quickly and pointed it back up at Sandy. Sandy stood up from Eugene's body, both their blood dripping from his knuckles. At this point, a bullet didn't scare Sandy.

"If anything happens to her," Sandy's voice didn't sound like his own. "Even that bullet won't be able to stop me from killing you."

Eugene scoffed. "Let me save you the trouble." Before his words even registered to Sandy, Eugene had pointed the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger once more. Eugene's body was completely limp and Sandy stared at it for a moment before hearing a whimper. He shook his head as if to clear it some before rushing back over to his beloved.

He kneeled beside her.

"Kirsten." He whispered desperately. She responded by a cry. Her breathing was erratic and her eyes were squeezed shut. Her right hand grasped her stomach tightly while her left lay perfectly clean next to her head.

Her blood began to soak into his clothes and Sandy felt nauseas having it all over him when it should be safely inside of her. He gently took her left hand in his own and removed the large ring from her third digit. He didn't want it coming up missing after her hospital visit. He slid it into his back pocket quickly.

"Baby," He whispered as he gently scooped her into his arms. "Come here." He had to get her to an ambulance. She groaned as he picked her up. Her left arm naturally went around his neck. Sandy silently praised whatever power may be above for the fact that they were close to the exit.

Slowly, he exited the front doors of the school with his lover in his arms. A group of emergency officials rushed toward him with guns raised. One of the officers took her limp form from his arms. Sandy was then forced to lie on the ground and be checked for any weapons.

They asked him a few questions. Basic, really. Sandy answered them accurately but his mind was on other things. He could hear the ambulance rush off with her in it and Sandy tried desperately not to cry in front of all of these people. They directed Sandy toward an ambulance of his own on the account that he was covered with blood. Sandy wanted nothing of this. He wasn't hurt. They already had the one who was hurt. Eventually, Sandy was able to explain that it wasn't his own blood on his clothes.

They turned him loose and he rushed toward the parking lot, fumbling in his pockets for his keys. Suddenly, he was choked by a pair of arms around his neck. He soon realized that it was his aunt, crying hysterically into his neck. Sandy assured her that Chris was fine. Just as he mentioned it, Chris rushed up beside them, asking questions and receiving no answers.

"I need to go to the hospital."

"Are you okay?" Three voices asked him in unison.

"It's Kirsten. I need to go to the hospital." Sandy's voice was monotone but firm. He tried to walk toward his car but his uncle got in his way.

"Sandy. Give me the keys."

"I've got to go."

"Give me the keys." Sandy dropped the keys into his uncle's hand and contemplated how long it would take him to walk to the hospital. "I'll drive." Sandy looked back up at his uncle and saw the sincerity in his eyes.

The entire family rushed toward Sandy's car and pulled out of the parking lot. They arrived at the hospital in a matter of minutes.

Upon arrival, they were ushered to the general waiting room. Chris checked his watch as they sat down. It was only 9:45.

Soon, it was already four and the clouds covered the sun, shading the room. The occupants of the waiting room had grown tremendously. Along with Sandy, Chris, his aunt, and his uncle, Amy, Jimmy, and Julie sat waiting for news, good or bad.

Sandy was staring at the same piece of carpet he had been at 9:45. He refused to talk to anyone. Even the police. His uncle had to bar them from the waiting room, knowing that they would get nothing out of Sandy right now, if ever.

His uncle was right. Sandy couldn't think of anything but Kirsten and all he could have done to prevent this. Occasionally, he would pull on the chain around his neck, thinking of the girl that gave it to him.

Suddenly, a doctor walked in and despite his stiff legs, Sandy popped up to hear what he had to say.

"Amazingly, she's stable. These will be really definitive twenty-four hours. You may go see her if you'd like." Sandy looked a little hesitant and the doctor seemed to read his mind. "_Mrs_. Nichol said it would be fine."

Sandy was relieved. Not that Caleb Nichol would stand in Sandy's way of seeing Kirsten but he didn't want to get into an argument and cause stress on Kirsten's vulnerable body.

Sandy went first and walked slowly down the hall to her room. He peered into the window of her room. She looked just as beautiful as she always did even with all the tubes and machines around her. Sandy could tell that Caleb was staring right at him but he didn't care. All he could see was Kirsten. She looked so fragile.

Sandy continued to look at her through the blinds. He didn't think he could live without this girl even if they were just in high school. He couldn't believe that the day had seemed so normal at the beginning.

Suddenly, doctors were sprinting, fast around him, and yelling different statistics. Her heart monitor was beeping erratically. Sandy watched the doctors push her family back but not out of the room, too busy with the patient. They surrounded Kirsten and tried everything they knew to get her stable again.

Sandy could no longer see her, only doctors. He turned his back away from the window and slid down the wall. This couldn't be happening. The beeping grew faster and faster before becoming one single tone, flat line.

Sandy held his breath. Miracles happen. Right?

"Time of death…"

Sandy gasped deeply. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach and his stomach fell into the pits of hell. His throat clenched and his gut burned. His eyes closed trying to calm his body. He could feel his own death closing in.

With eyes closed, he heard footsteps coming toward him. They stopped beside him. Sandy opened his eyes and looked up toward the person. Caleb Nichol. As soon as he made eye contact with the older man, Sandy looked back down to his shoes. He expected to be punched in the face; he sure would deserve it.

Instead, he just spoke. "Well, Mr. Cohen, congratulations." Sandy looked back up, confused. "You've killed my daughter." Caleb walked passed the slumped figure and continued down the hallway.

Sandy waited until Mr. Nichol was long gone before scrambling toward the nearest trash bin and emptying the contents of his stomach. Once there was nothing left, he staggered back toward the front of the hospital, passing the waiting room on the way.

The occupants noticed his presence and since they were too frightened to ask Caleb Nichol for answers, they wanted some from Sandy. However, he didn't stop walking. He continued toward the exit.

"Sandy." All the voices called to him at once. He still wouldn't stop. Chris ran toward his cousin but still had to jump in front of him. Sandy's eyes refused to look anywhere but the floor.

"Sandy." Chris said softly, placing his hands on Sandy's shoulders. The latter picked his head up and looked into Chris' eyes. With that one look, Chris had his answer and he let go of Sandy, knowing there was nothing more to do.

As Sandy walked out of the hospital, the group watched the down-trodden man who wasn't even really a man yet. They watched the boy hang his head, the boy who had just lost his sweetheart. The one girl who had really understood him. The girl who loved him unconditionally. The girl who had saved him.

OoOoO

Sandy walked down the stretch of beach that he had traveled with Kirsten many times.

He knew that he would never feel her hand in his again.

He would never see the sun shine off of her perfect blonde hair.

He would never hear her laugh again, never make her laugh again.

He would never kiss her soft lips again.

He would never carry her books for her again.

He thought of her and everything she had taught him. Everything she had made him feel, things he didn't know existed.

His hand grasped at his chest and he clung to the charm on the end of the chain, feeling the connection between him and his love.

Sandy didn't realize it but there was a constant stream of tears racing down his cheeks.

She was his first real love and after loving Kirsten Nichol, how could he love another?

He had never hated himself as much as he did today. He could still here himself whisper to her.

'_Nothing will happen to you. I promise.'_

'_I promise.'_

He had promised.

_Broken skies, heartaches that flowers won't mend  
Say goodbye knowing that this is the end  
Tender dreams, shadows fall  
Love too sweet, to recall  
Dry your eyes, face the dawn  
Life will go on._

_Life Will Go On by Chris Isaak_


End file.
